Lest We Forget (1.10)

[Agatha]

This is one of my ALL TIME favorite episodes!

It’s ROMANTIC: I love that the young lovers…Miguel Ferrer and Anne Lockhart…are the real life children of the old lovers…Jose Ferrer and June Lockhart. BTW - I have loved June Lockhart since we used to watch Lassie on Sunday evenings when I was a kid! Yes…I’m THAT old!

I love the “rags to riches” angle…the young prostitute grows up to be the Governor’s wife and the young sailor grows up to be a Supreme Court nominee. I love the “star-crossed” storyline…that each of them thinks the other is dead…and for reasons that make perfect sense. Their meeting at the Arizona is very touching…clearly they’ve loved each other all these years even though they both thought the other was lost to them.

It’s HISTORIC: We see a seamy side of Hawaii during the war…the Wiki Wiki Club is a brothel with “indentured” young girls being basically enslaved and exploited. Jessie is a ruthless businesswoman who’s not above using violence (Dutch) to rule her domain.

I’ve been to Hawaii once and visited the Arizona Memorial. It was the first time it occurred to me that my own Dad could have been killed in the war…he was a signalman in the Navy…instead of coming home to become my Dad. It was a very emotional experience for me and the Pearl Harbor scenes in this episode remind me of that day. I also think that “she’s still bleeding oil” is one of the most poignant descriptions I’ve ever heard.

The way the plot twists and turns is exquisite. I remember actually sitting up in my chair the first time I heard Mrs. Pauley say that “Dutch didn’t die.” I think because it comes right on the heels of finding out why the Judge thought Mrs. Pauley was dead and finding out why Mrs. Pauley thought the Judge was dead. I thought it was all explained and then “BAM!”…yet another twist.

It’s FUNNY: The chase scenes are a riot because of how cumbersome the limos are. Reminds me of the Tugboat Races that we have in Olympia every year. Not a lot of flashy maneuvering going on. Basically, the one that’s in front at the beginning is the one that’s in front at the end.

The sub-plot is another great interaction between Thomas and Higgins. And an unusual one…Higgins doesn’t usually want ANYTHING from Thomas. Poor Thomas…he’s almost more uncomfortable when the lads are nice to him than he is when they’re chasing him. And Higgins is SO solicitous…it’s VERY uncharacteristic. And hilarious. I agree with Islandhopper that Higgins’ scene with Moki putting Magnum’s beer on his tab is WONDERFUL and I also like:
Thomas: Higgins. Who’s playing for Mrs. Blackmore?
Higgins: Why, no one. Funeral’s today. Game’s tomorrow.
Thomas really “gets” Higgins twice. Once because he knows Mrs. Pauley who I’m sure Higgins thinks is WAY above his “station” and again because he’s not the T. Magnum who played in the bridge tournament. It’s a good thing that Higgins is on his best behavior because Mrs. Pauley and Mrs. Blackmore are there.

And June Lockhart’s laugh when she finds that Thomas doesn’t know how to play bridge? A perfect ending to a perfect episode!

[Jay-Firestorm]

Two reviews in one day! I couldn’t wait to do this one as I really like it.

[TV.com rating=9.5, Fine Example]

Magnum is hired by a Supreme Court nominee who gives him 24 hours to find the woman he married on the eve of the Pearl Harbour raid and was subsequently separated from, believing her to be dead. A cleverly structured and polished episode…


‘Lest We Forget’ is a particularly good first season episode of ‘Magnum’. Although not containing as much action as I might ordinarily like, it is a very well written episode (it’s penned by Donald P. Bellisario, so you wouldn’t expect otherwise)!

It is an intriguing idea to have Jose Ferrer and June Lockhart’s respective offspring, Miguel Ferrer and 1980’s TV regular Anne Lockhart, play younger versions of themselves. I don’t know if the idea had ever been used in a TV show or movie before or not, but either way, it is put to excellent use here.
(The same concept of father and son playing same the same character set years apart would be used again in the fifth season’s ‘Let Me Hear the Music’).

As with many of ‘Magnum’s most successful episodes, the guest cast really help make the episode. The Ferrers and Lockharts really breathe life into their character, but also to spot is Scatman Crothers as piano player Tickler, and the gorgeous Elizabeth Lindsey – Miss Hawaii 1978 – as Kiki. Her ocean swimming grandfather Maku (Sonny Ching) is also a fun character.

There is a subplot involving Higgins being nice to Magnum, who he believes to be an expert bridge player, in return for T.M. making up the numbers in a forthcoming game. Although not the best structured Magnum-Higgins sub-plot, nevertheless it makes up for a few nice moments as Higgins goes out of his way to be nice to Magnum.

Also of note with this episode is the music – by this point, the standard Mike Post & Pete Carpenter scores were being phased in, and this episode has some really nice in-episode pieces.

One of the reasons that I like this episode is that it deals a lot with World War II. The series often went beyond the standard detective vs. bad-guy-of-the-week plots and come up with great stories revolving around such times in history, and this is one of the first examples of such.
In fact, I even sat and watched this episode on DVD with my (late) Grandmother, who loved anything set during the wartime and lapped it up; after that she became quite a fan of the series, but would never admit it!

Overall, this is a very good, and very polished, episode, with some fine writing and acting. Another first season great.

-----

Other notes, bloopers & misc.

* For the record, Channel 5 (U.K.)’s broadcast of this episode left Higgins’ “bloody” in. I wish they’d make up their minds!!

* The shots of the raid on Pearl Harbour, taken from whatever movie, are out of ratio – they were filmed in widescreen, and ‘squashed up’ to fit the (then) television-size picture (4:3).

* I’m probably getting REALLY trivial here, but when Dutch, the Limo driver behind all the trouble, races off in the Limo at the climax of the story, the sound of the Limo pulling away is a standard stock sound effect of a car driving off. It can be identified by the audio of the car sounding to drive over a metal track or something. I’ve heard it in a number of other American 1980s shows, as well as a couple of movies.

* Shots of Dutch racing away in the Limo are reversed back-to-front – the steering wheel can be seen to be on the wrong side of the car.

Also, I love the newspaper article that doesn’t make sense. Spotting amusing newspapers, files, etc., in old shows can be fun. One of my favourites is in ‘The A-Team’s feature-length second season episode “When You Comin’ Back, Range Rider?” – a file that Colonel Decker reads on the team says… 'Aledged suspects on or about June 15, 1978, did wilfully and knowingly do something really naughty'!
The Australian soap ‘Prisoner’ (called ‘Prisoner: Cell Block H’ in the U.K. and some countries) is a good one to look out for many humours newspapers. …I’m going off on a tangent now!!

[Frodoleader]

The scenes of the Pear Harbor attack, most likely from "Tora, Tora, Tora". I think it was common practice to use footage from that film whenever the Dec. 7th attack was depicted in any tv show.

[Kwanzaa]

Jay,

This was indeed a great episode. I enjoyed it and it is one of my favorites. I love how MPI treated the Viet Nam and WW2 war vets with respect. They gave somewhat realistic depictions while maintianing respect and giving the benefit of the doubt...

Frodo,

I also believe the Pearl scenes in the beginning are from Tora cubed. It is odd how elongated the film is in this segment. You can tell it is a lousy cinematic effort ...even though this was done in the 80s, it should have been pieced together better than it was.

[Jaybird]

Excellent cast and very good and believable story line. I am wondering about the location on the beach shot when TM questions Maku. Is it the North Shore?

Also very neat seeing Anne and June Lockheart playing the Diane, 40 years apart.

[rubber chicken]

I am wondering about the location on the beach shot when TM questions Maku. Is it the North Shore?

I haven't investigated it fully or added it to the guide yet, but yes. It appears to be the same exact spot (within 10 feet or so) where Higgins' boat is launched in Operation: Silent Night (4.10), shown here.

There are a few more scenes that take place right around there too, but I haven't yet added those either.

[lutherhgillis]

In the back left of the frame when Magnum is talking to the old surfer dude and his granddaughter, you can see a house on stilts that is the same place used as the hippie flop pad of Gary the dope pusher creep from Wave Goodbye.

[rubber chicken]

Yeah, that's one of the scenes I was thinking of.

[Higgy_baby]

Watched it tonight. One of the best. Action, history, romance, great Higgins-Magnum-Rick-TC interplay. I think Agatha says it best at the top of this page.

This style of epsisode is why in syndication and DVD I gravitate toward the early years. I think the series is really starting to hit stride at this point.

Only one downer. June Lockhart was a hooker. My childhood memories of Lassie will be forever shattered. Timmy's mom was a workin' girl. Nice use of her real life daughter for the flashbacks.

Lastly some nice clips from one of the all time best war films ever made Tora! Tora! Tora! Love it!

[Agatha]

Great avatar of a young John Hillerman, Higgy-baby!! I hear that he was a regular on the Ellery Queen series with Jim Hutton but haven't figured out how to watch the episodes. My guess is that the series happened when Mr Hillerman was about the age that he is in your avatar.

Very dapper!!

[Higgy_baby]

Great avatar of a young John Hillerman, Higgy-baby!! I hear that he was a regular on the Ellery Queen series with Jim Hutton but haven't figured out how to watch the episodes. My guess is that the series happened when Mr Hillerman was about the age that he is in your avatar.

Very dapper!!

Thank you my dear Agatha. I've prepared Tea with Devon cream, Strawberries and Scones for you on the patio.

Ellery Queen is supposedy available:
http://www.thevintagetheatre.com/elleryqueen.html
(Hillerman is in a photo half way down the page)

I have not ordered anything from this site so check it out if you consider doing so.

I think my Avatar is a little older. I'm not sure of it's origin, because I shamelessly stole it from a site that made no reference to its' context. I can tell you that the unclipped photo has Hillerman in front of a blackboard with a date of Nov. 14th 1951 on it. I have no Idea if that date is remotely current with the photo nor whether or not Hillerman is acting a part in which he is a teacher.

But I digress. Your tea is getting cold.

[CliffW]

This is one of my favorites. It has a quite Magnumesque flavor and it was very touching.

One thing I couldn't figure out though. How did the Chauffer(who was a mere muscleman back in "the old days")figure out who Judge Caine was?

This was my question exactly. I finally got Season 1 on DVD this Christmas. Now I need only Season 5 and 8 to complete the series. But I digress...

When my wife and I watch them now, we pause at the end to make sure we understand completely the plot and try to tie up any loose ends or "logic errors", for lack of a better term.

Despite that small detail, this is one of the very best episodes IMHO!

[Agatha]

Don't know how I missed this message, Higgy-baby! I appreciate very much the Tea with Devon cream, Strawberries and Scones! A nice touch! Of course the tea is VERY cold by now!

Will investigate the site you listed...although I'm not sure that I want to buy them. Would rather just watch...at least at first...but Netflix doesn't have them. Drat!

[Magnum T.]

This is probably one of the best episodes in the series and, since I am very interested in WWII and Pearl Harbor attack, a favourite of mine.
Our p.i. is hired by a judge who's going to enter the Supreme Court to fulfill an uneasy task: to find a woman disappeared 40 years before in less than 24 hours!

A very well written and played episode, it has all the elements to be a classic: intriguing historical background, tragedy, romance, action, investigation, humor and a solid plot.
Higgins trying to convince Magnum to play bridge is too hilarious!
And when he asks if TM is "that" T. Magnum you obviously know he isn't.
The scene where Zeus gives the towel to TM and then jumps into the water is so cute! (I love dogs).

Plus: needless to say, the gorgeous Elizabeth Lindsey!
Minus: I don't understand why Diane hires Dutch as her chauffeur instead of kicking his ass out of the door.
Maybe he threatened to reveal who she was to her husband. Who knows.
Best line:
Magnum: Higgins, who died?
Higgins: Mr. Blackmore. Heart attack.
Magnum: Higgins, who's playing for Mrs. Blackmore?
Higgins: No one. The funeral's today, the game's tomorrow.
(He leaves)
Magnum: What a strange little man.

Notes:
- team ring on the left.
- the Pearl Harbor attack scenes are taken from the famous movie "Tora! Tora! Tora!".
They are visibly stretched to fit 4:3 TV screen.
- young Robert and Diane are played by Miguel Ferrer and Anne Lockhart.
They are respectively son and daughter of Jose Ferrer and June Lockhart, who play the same characters in the 80s.

[MaiTaiMan]

This is one of the best episodes of the series...and possibly my all-time favorite! My "signature" here is even a quote from the episode.

The plot and acting are superb by everyone!! The idea of having a real-life father and son, and mother and daughter portray each other in past and present settings is fascinating and awesome! It truly makes it seem that much more real and it captivates you. Real-life father and son Jose and Miguel Ferrer, and real-life mother and daughter June and Anne Lockhart are all superb actors/actresses and perfect choices for the characters in this episode!

I also am fascinated by Pearl Harbor history, and have had the wonderful pleasure of visiting it in 2008! The back-story for this episode was just outstanding and amazingly played out! The WWII generation is vastly disappearing as most would be in their 80's and 90's, and sadly many are no longer with us. There is so much to learn and respect from this generation, and "Lest We Forget" encompassed that aspect perfectly! Beautiful!